# Tire stretching thoughts. **URL:** \ **Category:** SON240sx Automotive\ **Created:** [December 30, 2004, 9:31am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/tire-stretching-thoughts/82712 "2004-12-30T09:31:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NeveR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e95f7d/32.png) [@NeveR](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/NeveR)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 9:31am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/tire-stretching-thoughts/82712/1 "2004-12-30T09:31:15Z")
Understandably you gain the uber-jdm look with stretched tires. You also gain sidewall stiffness because, well, there is no sidewall. Are there any cons to this? ---
**Author:** ![s14\_2Nv](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/s14_2nv/32/5476_2.png) [@s14\_2Nv](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/s14_2Nv)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 9:38am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/tire-stretching-thoughts/82712/2 "2004-12-30T09:38:28Z")
Less grip. Less contact patch. Less tire flex. ---
**Author:** ![GT1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5e925/32.png) [@GT1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/GT1)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 9:44am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/tire-stretching-thoughts/82712/3 "2004-12-30T09:44:26Z")
and more prone to blow the tire off the side of the rim bead. GT ---
**Author:** ![TM1](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/tm1/32/5517_2.png) [@TM1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/TM1)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 9:58am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/tire-stretching-thoughts/82712/4 "2004-12-30T09:58:03Z")
> [@s14\_2Nv](#): > > Less grip. Less contact patch. Less tire flex. Less sidewall flex, better road contact with high camber setups or under hard cornering. Less static grip, higher lateral grip assuming a perfectly flat surface. Generally it helps with breakaway and smoothing out drift exits because it eliminates the tire flex that commonly changes the predictability of an exit, or breakaway… The cons are that it’s a bumpy ride, its hard on the sidewalls, and it doesn’t offer the rim protection against curb rash and potholes… ---
**Author:** ![AnDrEw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AnDrEw](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/AnDrEw)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 10:03am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/tire-stretching-thoughts/82712/5 "2004-12-30T10:03:05Z")
> [@GT\_GREG](#): > > and more prone to blow the tire off the side of the rim bead. > > GT true this will increase. And this is the main worry. Its not a bad idea to stretch tires, because it does mean a stiffer sidewall. Just don’t do it to the extreme. I used 195 55 15 on stock wheels for driftkana 3. The tire is perfect size for wheel with no stretch really. Sidewall was inline with rim, I didn’t really notice any difference from my 205 60 15 tires as daily. Car bit back a little sharper, but thats probably just my on off gas pedal foot lol. Andrew. ---
**Author:** ![Uniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/34f0e0/32.png) [@Uniac](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Uniac)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 10:33am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/tire-stretching-thoughts/82712/6 "2004-12-30T10:33:00Z")
> [@AnDrEw](#): > > [quote=GT\_GREG]and more prone to blow the tire off the side of the rim bead. > > GT true this will increase. And this is the main worry. Its not a bad idea to stretch tires, because it does mean a stiffer sidewall. Just don’t do it to the extreme. I used 195 55 15 on stock wheels for driftkana 3. The tire is perfect size for wheel with no stretch really. Sidewall was inline with rim, I didn’t really notice any difference from my 205 60 15 tires as daily. Car bit back a little sharper, but thats probably just my on off gas pedal foot lol. Andrew.[/quote] i trust it, i’ve streched a set of 195/45/16’s onto my 16x8" wheels and they were great, i wore thru them within a month cause of the camber in the rear and the km i was putting on the car, but no complaints here. It does stiffen the sidewall, the previous tires mi was using were just some cheap michilans 205/55/16 and were much stiffer on the rear…i also find i have to make sure the rear tire is streched to clear the rear wheel arch…need to roll the fenders still. ---
**Author:** ![s14\_2Nv](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/s14_2nv/32/5476_2.png) [@s14\_2Nv](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/s14_2Nv)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 10:57am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/tire-stretching-thoughts/82712/7 "2004-12-30T10:57:20Z")
Stretched tires are cheaper as well which is the main reason I will be running them in the spring. ---
**Author:** ![boMex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@boMex](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boMex)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 11:48am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/tire-stretching-thoughts/82712/8 "2004-12-31T11:48:48Z")
One issue is that high performance tires already have a very stiff sidewall and may not take to being stretched too much. Choose your tires wisely.